


The Call

by houkouonchi



Category: Naruto
Genre: Challenge: kakairu_fest Mini-Bingo, Community: kakairu, Community: kakairu_fest, Darkness, Forced Relationship, KakaIru Fest 2013, KakaIru Fest Summer 2013, M/M, Supernatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-03-03
Packaged: 2018-01-14 11:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1264486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/houkouonchi/pseuds/houkouonchi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>None really, just generally creepiness…</p><p>Written as part of <a href="http://kakairu-fest.livejournal.com/tag/team%3A%20team%20ur">Team  Unusual Relationship's</a> contribution to the KakaIru Fest Summer 2013 Bingo for the forced relationship prompt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Call

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to [Emptymirrors](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestus/pseuds/Emptymirrors) for all the wonderful beta help on this one! I plan to rewrite/write more on this later when I have a bit more time. Any and all feedback is welcome!

**A New Host**

How long had it been, since the last time it’d been able to inhabit a human form? Long enough that the creature could no longer recall, but it was thankful this young boy had wandered into its part of the forest. The creature, no he, it was a he now, examined his own form leaning over a small pond of water in the middle of the small clearing and turning his head from left to right.

The man whose flesh he now wore was sinewy, but possessed a well-built frame covered in tanned skin. His face still displayed the roundness of his youth and directly below his dark brown eyes his soft features had been marred by a deep scar across the bridge of his nose.

The youth’s clothing was that of a warrior. No wait, what were they called now? Shinobi? He had witnessed countless numbers of them traipsing and battling their way through his forest while he gathered strength over the years. The creature stood and adjusted his green flak jacket. He was still fairly weak and maintaining full control over this one was wasting a massive amount of energy, not to mention the boy was fighting back. No matter. Now that he was inside, his presence would spread, infecting him like a deadly virus, slowly worming his way into all that was and would be this young boy. A few minutes a day is all he needed to find a suitable target and then he would possess this boy called Iruka, and use his prey until it was time to find a new host. It was time to let his new host regain control and he turned and started to make his way toward his new home Konoha.

 

**The Trap**

Kakashi leapt swiftly from branch to branch, years of practicing precise chakra manipulation and control made gripping the rough bark of the limbs easy as he bounded his way through the upper canopy of the trees. Ever since he'd joined the ranks of the ANBU, his missions had become increasingly clandestine and strange. This time he had no idea if what he was looking for even existed at all and wanted to call off what he knew to be a wild goose chase. He would stay out for a few more hours and then call it a day, head back to Konoha and report that absolutely nothing had happened.

It was only been hours earlier when he’d suddenly been summoned in to meet with the hokage.

“Legends tell of spirits and demons that stalk the forests surrounding our village, creatures of unimaginable evil supposedly lurk there, Kakashi-kun.” 

Kakashi stood at attention, listening to his former teacher, now the Fourth Hokage. The man, who normally wore a brilliant smile, frowned uncharacteristically as he spoke, brow furrowed in concern.

Kakashi greatly respected and admired Minato, but he couldn't help wanting to roll his eyes at what he was hearing. A few years away from the front lines and having a child on the way was making Minato soft.

“For centuries, they have lain dormant, but something has awoken these forces and now people are going missing.” Mintao finished his speech, sighing heavily and leaned his chin onto his palm. “You are being reassigned to a special unit dedicated to investigating these disappearances.”

Kakashi wanted to tell Minato where he could stuff this mission and that he could find more than enough real shinobi that presented actual threats to kill instead of chasing magical fairytale creatures, but all he said was, “Yes, I understand, Hokage-sama.”

“Wonderful!” Minato's expression shifted to one of relief and he smiled. “Do you have any questions?”

Kakashi cleared his throat considering how to tactfully frame his inquiry. Not many ANBU were even allowed this privilege. “Just one. Are you sure the disappearances aren't linked to anything else – enemy kidnappings, missing-nin or even attacks by wildlife?”

As quickly as Minato's smile had appeared it faltered and although he tried to school his features to hide his anger, Kakashi knew the man too well to be fooled.

“Kakashi!” Minato brought his hand down hard on his desk, scattering stacks of paper onto the floor. “Do you really believe that I would send you out on a mission like this without properly researching other potential explanations first? It feels incredibly silly to be telling you we're dealing with supernatural forces, but as we all know, there are things in this world we are never fully aware of or completely able of comprehending.” His eyes briefly flickered to a picture of a woman with the brightest red hair Kakashi had ever seen, before meeting Kakashi’s again. “I understand than better than most.” Minato didn’t have to finish his unspoken thought. It was a poorly kept secret among the elite shinobi that his fiery haired wife, who boasted an irascible temperament to match it, was the jinchuuriki for the kyuubi.

Oddly, Kakashi felt relieved instead of terrified, as anyone else in their right mind facing the full brunt of Minato's temper surely would be. So there was still some fire left in Konoha's Yellow Flash after all. Normally, the man was cool and composed, the very definition of aplomb, but approach him in the wrong way at the wrong moment and there'd be hell to pay. Kakashi reasoned it must be Kushina's influence. Either way, he was probably the only one who had faced a truly upset Minato multiple times and lived to tell about it.

Feeling a faint chakra signal up ahead, Kakashi’s came to a halt on a branch close enough to view the source, but far away enough for him to remain concealed. As he peered down, he noted what appeared to be another Konoha shinobi who looked vaguely familiar. He was a boy and Kakashi was sure that he was no more than a few years younger than himself. Something about the boy’s shock of brown hair that stuck up at an odd angle niggled at Kakashi’s memory. I know I’ve seen him somewhere before.

Removing his mask, Kakashi tucked it safely into his belt at the small of his back. His cloak would serve to hide it and the other ANBU equipment he carried. He would approach this kid and chat with him on his way back to the village. It was possible that he’d “seen something” while out in the forest, besides, it would probably be more interesting than anything Kakashi had done all day.

Gradually, he released some chakra, so as not to startle the other boy and alerted him to his presence. Just as the boy was passing underneath him and craned his neck upward, Kakashi grabbed onto to the solid limb beneath him and whipped himself around it, looking like a monkey who’d spent the whole of his life in the trees. He completed his rotation, gracefully somersaulting down, landing in a crouch a few feet in front of the boy. Although Minato had scolded him for it countless times, he certainly enjoyed making a good entrance when given the opportunity. As if earning a nickname as showy as the “Yellow Flash” didn’t imply the same thing of Minato.

Kakashi stood up, smoothly palming a kunai from the sleeve of his cloak. He didn’t think this boy was an enemy, but one could never been too careful.  “Yo.”

The boy’s eyes, which met Kakashi’s uncovered one, were glistening as if he’d been crying and he looked ill. The pallor of his face was ashen and he shivered slightly although he seemed to be covered in sweat. When the boy finally spoke, his voice was faint, but defiant.

“You, you’re a jounin right? I’ve seen you around the village.”

That didn’t surprise Kakashi. He was fairly young when he’d been made jounin and anyone who’d heard of his father would have been curious of him, as the son.

“What are you doing? Genin shouldn’t be out here all alone.” Kakashi only hesitated for a moment before returning the kunai to the pouch at his waist. He didn’t believe this kid was an imposter who would try to kill him. Something about him was off, but his expression was just too open and honest, he looked more like a lost babe wandering in the woods.

Looking as though he might vomit, the boy swallowed heavily before he spoke. Kakashi longed to be standing anywhere but directly in front of him at that moment. “First of all, I’m not a genin, I’m a chunin and second of all, I can go anywhere I please.”

Jeez, this boy was a little rough around the edges! Kakashi held up his hand in a conciliatory gesture. “Look kid, I’m not trying to pick a fight. I was just looking for something and thought you could help. I’m heading back to the village anyway, so let’s just go together. It’s dangerous for anyone to be out here alone.”

The boy sighed and folded his arms around himself. Whatever illness he had would only get worse if he didn’t return to Konoha and seek medical attention soon. Kakashi couldn’t figure out why he even cared about the boy’s comfort in the slightest, yet something about his condition troubled him. Bending down, Kakashi took off the small pack he had slung over his shoulder and unfolded another cloak he’d tucked away in case of emergencies. “Here.” He chucked the bundle at the boy who caught it just as quickly and immediately wrapped it around himself. At least his reflexes were still sharp.

“Let’s go.” The boy’s voice was even fainter than it had been before, but at least his shivering had lessened a bit.

It would be difficult to probe the boy for information without revealing too much about his mission so Kakashi just followed casually a few paces behind him. Together, they managed to make good time and soon the giant wooden gates of the village loomed on the horizon against the deep orange of the setting sun. It was then that the boy, who hadn’t said a word since Kakashi gave him his cloak, started to sing. The action was sudden and too strange for Kakashi to know what to make of it. His voice, which had only hours before sounded feeble and strained, was sonorous and rich. The song as put Kakashi ill at ease, with its strange lilting melody, a tune that he’d never heard sung in a tongue he didn’t understand.

Kakashi lifted his hitai-ate to reveal his sharingan, if this was some sort of genjutsu even if it was sound based, the eye would reveal it, and increased his pace. He grabbed the boy by the shoulders, turning to face him.

“Who are you and what are you trying to do with that weird song?”

The boy’s shoulders shook slowly underneath Kakashi’s hands and an eerie cackle burst from his lips before he spoke. “I’m Iruka, from Konoha and you’re paranoid.”

 It was then that Kakashi noticed that not only did he have a normal chakra aura, that there was something more. He’d never seen anything quite like it and he could almost make out another figure, wispy and translucent as it was, forcing itself into the boy’s body.

Iruka! Now Kakashi remember where he’d seen the boy. He was the one always hanging around Sandaime. The Third Hokage certainly wouldn’t be pleased to hear about this, if Kakashi could even work out what exactly the _this_ he was facing was.

The sickly paleness of Iruka’s face was now gone, his features overlaid by whatever had managed to take control of his body.

Kakashi didn’t want to kill the boy, but if he couldn’t figure out what was happening to him bringing him back to the village in this state without any backup might be dangerous. “You are not Iruka!” Kakashi bit out his words through clenched teeth. “If you want to live to see tomorrow you better start explaining.”

Iruka, or whatever was inside of Iruka, craned its neck, peering curiously up into Kakashi’s face and smiled. “You’ve heard my call and now you are mine.”

Kakashi didn’t know what the creature meant, nor did he have time to puzzle any meaning out of its words for at the very moment he could feel himself losing consciousness. The last thing he thought before his world faded to darkness was, “Shit, I guess Minato was right.”

**Iruka’s Dillema**

In two months it would be five years. Five years since Kakashi had turned up on his door step one day asking him out on a date.

Iruka leaned his head onto his hand, watching the steady rise and fall of Kakashi’s lean, pale chest as he slept. At times, he still found himself baffled by their relationship. Kakashi had pursed him aggressively, as if it was his one and only mission in life. When it had first started, Iruka feared he may end up the butt of some elaborate joke, but Kakashi made his intentions clear time and time again.

“Kakashi-san,” he would always say, “what is it about me that you like so much?”  Kakashi would simply turn to him, giving him that lopsided smile behind his mask and reply, “It’s the music in your voice Iruka.”

Gradually, Iruka begin to notice strange things about himself, bits of memories that didn’t belong to him or waking up after losing huge chunks of time, not being able to remember where he’d been or what he’d done.

One day he’d been reading outside under a large tree with Kakashi’s head resting in his lap as he dozed lightly when he’d had a particularly vivid vision.

“Kakashi? Do you remember that time we met in the forest? I was so rude to you, you must have thought I hated you.” Iruka chuckled, nudging Kakashi’s head softly with his leg.

Turning over to face Iruka, Kakashi yawned and opened his uncovered eye. “My my sensei but you have an active imagination. I don’t recall anything like that ever happening.” Iruka frowned, perplexed, but decided to drop it. It was yet another oddity he was unable to explain. He’d gotten quite used to them by now.

Although he still wasn’t positive, Iruka felt as if he was sharing his body with someone or rather _something_ else. He often thought he was going crazy and if he ever mentioned his belief to anyone else they surely would as well. In the time that they had spent together, Iruka had come to care deeply for Kakashi and Kakashi in turn often, in his own understated way, declared his affection for him. Even still, Iruka couldn’t help wondering if it was the real him that Kakashi loved and what that thing was that inhabited him might do to him given the chance.

Occasionally, he thought he heard it whisper to him, cruel and despicable things, in the dark and lately the voice had grown much louder.

 _We need him_ , it would say as Iruka placed his hand on Kakashi’s chest, gently stroking his way up. _He is our sustenance_ , it moaned while Iruka’s fingers languidly fingers traced patterns around Kakashi’s collarbone and then continued their journey upward until they reached his neck. _One day, he will be completed drained and then we will consume him,_ the voice echoed in his head as Iruka’s hand clasped Kakashi’s neck lightly and then started to squeeze.

He just hoped he would discover what was happening to him and some way to stop it, before it was too late for both of them.


End file.
